


Silencer, But They Swap Kwamis

by RunningNinja



Category: Miraculous Ladybug
Genre: F/M, Identity Reveal, Kwami Swap
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-04-18
Updated: 2019-06-07
Packaged: 2020-01-15 21:45:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 3,546
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18507694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/RunningNinja/pseuds/RunningNinja
Summary: I can’t be the only one who watched the Silencer French-dub and then yelled “KWAMI SWAP” during Lady and Chat’s rooftop conversation, despite having no idea what they were saying. A swap didn’t happen, so I wrote it. Spoilers for Silencer. Reveal fic, but not like you think.





	1. Chapter 1

_We have a big problem. Without my voice I can't call my Lucky Charm or say "Miraculous Ladybug."_

Chat read those words from Ladybug's text. He stared at her, worried. "Without that, you won't be able to fix the damage caused by Silencer." Ladybug always saved the day, and now he was seeing a day un-saved in his head. Parisians voiceless for the rest of their lives, Ladybug among them. They didn't know how catastrophic this Silencer could be yet, but he knew better by now than to underestimate Hawkmoth's pawns.

Ladybug frowned at him and then typed out another text. Chat's stick pinged and he read it.

_We need to switch Kwamis._

"What?"

Another ping.  _I need you to take my earrings off, which will force me to de-transform, and then I need you to put them on and give me your ring._

Chat stared at Ladybug, mouth agape.

_Chat, it's the only way._

"But you're always saying we can't know each other's secret identities."

_We still can't. Without a voice I can still fight, but the Ladybug Miraculous needs a master with a voice to use its powers and save Paris._ She stared at him.  _And today, that's not me. It's you._

Chat stepped back. "Okay."

Ladybug looked nervous. Then she glanced around before typing frantically.  _First, we need somewhere private to de-transform._

Chat took his lady's hand. "How much do you trust me?"

She glared at him.

"Alright, fine. How much  _can_ you trust me?"

She smiled. Then she nodded. Chat smiled back. "Close your eyes, because I know the perfect place."

Ladybug closed her eyes. And Chat scooped her up and took her just a few blocks away.

He took her home.


	2. Chapter 2

Chat carried Ladybug across the rooftops and through the window to his bedroom. And because he was rich, he had a closet big enough to fit two people in. So that's where he took Ladybug.

He set her down, turned on the light, and closed the door. "You can open your eyes now, milady."

Ladybug opened her eyes. She saw rows of the same white button down and black tee with yellow, green, and lavender horizontal stripes. She briefly wondered if Chat lived here.

"Don't worry, milady, I don't live in the closet. It's just a nice, identity-preserving place." Chat twirled his stick around, nearly hitting Ladybug. "Now, your plan?"

Ladybug took a deep breath in and then typed.  _Close your eyes and hold out your hands. I will help you take off my earrings and you will put them on. I can't say "Plagg, claws out," so I will need you to say it and then put the ring on my finger quickly… we will see if that works… After you put the earrings in—they're magic, you don't need pierced ears—say "Tikki, spots on."_

"Alright." Cat closed his eyes and held out his hand. Ladybug guided his hand to her ears and wrapped his fingers around the ladybug miraculous. Then, one at a time, he pulled them out and she de-transformed. Chat held his breath when he realized the love of his life stood before him identity revealed, but he'd done this before. They trusted each other, he would never go back on that trust. He put the earrings on. Then he held out the hand with the cat miraculous and felt Ladybug's ungloved hand hold it. Her skin was soft and he smiled a little at her touch.

"Focus, Chat," Marinette said. "Wait, my voice is back!"

She saw Chat start to open his eyes and covered them with her hand. "Sorry Chat, you can't see."

He blinked behind her hand. "But why would your secret identity have her voice but not Ladybug?"

"Because…" She remembered Silencer's words:  _I would never hurt you, Marinette_.

"Because I know Silencer, and he would never hurt my secret identity."

One of Chat's fists clenched in a flash of jealousy. "Silencer… loves your secret identity?"

"It's complicated. I don't really know. I still need your miraculous." She sighed and shut her eyes. "My eyes are closed."

"Mine too."

"Right." Marinette took her hand off of Chat's face.

"Plagg, claws in." Plagg popped out and stared at Marinette. "This again?"

"It's different this time, Plagg," Adrien said. "We're switching kwamis."

"You're WHAT? What do you mean—he's the one with Camembert!"

Marinette took the cat miraculous and slipped it on her finger. It was loose. It hung off her finger, the heavier part dangling. "Uh, Plagg? Can you help with this?"

"Will you give me cheese? And what makes you think I can?"

"Yes, and Tikki made my earrings pink to match a dress once."

Plagg sighed. "Fine." He twirled a hand and the ring shifted to fit Marinette's finger.

"Perfect," she said.

"Where's Tikki?" Adrien asked.

"I think she's hiding, since my miraculous was forced off instead of triggered."

"Right. Together?" Adrien said.

"Yeah," she said. "Together."

"Plagg, claws out!" Marinette yelled.

"Tikki, spots on!" Adrien said.

"I hate transforming!" Plagg whined as he was sucked into the ring. Marinette clenched her fist before waving her hand over her eyes and spreading her arms. They were instantly clad in a skin-tight black cat suit. Two black ears pinned themselves into her hair and her pigtails moved together and shot tail-like behind her into a long black braid. Her sclera turned blue to match her irises, and lime green accents shimmered into place near her his and shoulders. A telescoping staff appeared, tucked into a belt by her lower back.

Tikki zoomed into Adrien's earrings and he used two fingers to trace his face mask across his face. He flexed his arms as they became covered with red and black polka-dots. A yoyo materialized at his hip.

"I think I look good in red," he said, admiring the suit and then examining the yoyo, flinging it up and down a few times. "What do you think, milady?"

"Wow," she said, looking at her suit, and the buckles and  _pockets_  she had now but didn't have as Ladybug. His lady moved her mouth but no voice came out.

"So much for Silencer liking you, milady-cat."

Ladycat frowned. Then she gestured broadly at Cat in his bug suit.

"My name? Hmm. Well, ManBug won't do it."

Ladycat giggled silently.

"You like that, milady-cat? Manbug it is."

Ladycat shook her head repeatedly, then texted 'Manbug'.  _I'm fine with Ladycat, but you need a new name. Be creative. It's your new power, after all._

"Alright. But 'Miraculous Manbug' does alliterate. Any better ideas?"

Ladycat shrugged.

"Well, Tales of Miraculous Manbug and Ladycat it is." He smiled.

Ladycat couldn't help but grin back. She pulled out her telescoping staff and typed a message. Manbug's yoyo pinged. He pulled it out and read the message.  _We got to get going. And please rethink Manbug._

He smiled. "As you wish, milady. Oh, and you'll need to close your eyes again, I can't have you know where my secret identity lives, right?"

Ladycat grinned and nodded. Then she closed her eyes and the man in the bug suit scooped her up and carried her out through his room and leapt out an open window.

...He forgot to cast his yoyo first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Yo, if you have a better name than "Manbug" please comment it if you want me to use it... I am very much looking for suggestions. Thanks! I hope you enjoyed this and reviews are always appreciated.


	3. Chapter 3

Manbug carried Ladycat to the window, and then tried to leap out of it, forgetting he no longer had his cat pouncing or bounding ability.

So he sort of uh…

Fell. While carrying Ladybug-turned-Ladycat.

Ladycat expected the falling sensation from the yoyo pendulum swing, so it was Chat's screaming that caused her to open her eyes.

They only had a few stories to plummet, something they could both survive unharmed, but she reached for his yoyo anyway. She reflexively strung it to the nearest chimney and vaulted them skyward, Chat-turned-Bug now clinging to her.

He stopped screaming when they landed, and stepped away from her, panting.

"You can't jump as high!" he yelled.

She pointed to her yoyo.

"Fine, fine," Bug said, still bent over. "That scared me. Thanks for saving me."

She gave him a salute. He laughed.

"Okay," he said, "Let's get going. Do I lead now? Wow. I lead now, huh?" He winked at her.

She rolled her eyes. She thought about texting a response, but decided not to bother. She gestured in the direction Silencer had gone.

"Right," Manbug said.

Ladycat pulled her telescoping staff from her back and looked at it. She pressed the paw icon and it extended, shooting her up and forward. She would have screamed but she had no voice. So instead she freefell silently, mouth agape. Manbug frantically latched his yoyo to a building to try and sweep in and save her.

It didn't work. Thankfully, she landed on her feet. And hands. And had the temptation to run on all fours across the roof.

She growled with no voice. She missed Tikki already.

Ladycat took off running and bounded building to building as Manbug tried to keep up. Eventually, Ladycat saw Silencer running toward them. He hadn't seen them yet. She tried to signal to Manbug but he was too busy trying to land on his feet sans-cat reflexes. So she settled for tackling him to a roof behind a chimney. Then they watched Silencer run past them, still not having noticed them or the thunk against the shingles their impact made.

It was  _Miraculous_ , really.

Still atop her Bug, Ladycat watched Silencer run into the distance towards the same tower that XY had broadcast his Kitty Section copycat video from. She remembered him plagiarizing Luka's melody and his resulting akumatization, and her lip curled into a snarl and she hissed, which surprised her.

"Woah, milady," Bug said, still beneath her. "Oh, and I can't believe I haven't used this yet-" he winked at her "-cat got your tongue?"

She looked down at him, and gave him a hard stare and frown before getting up.

"Not gonna lie, I already miss the cat puns," Manbug said, wistful. "And the name. I think I need a new one. What about…. Scarlet Beetle? Super Red Bug? Maybe both? Super Red Scarlet Beetle Bug? Mr. Bug—oh no, definitely not that—Bugman! I could just stick with Manbug… something with "Beetle"… There's nothing like falling through the air to make you rethink your made-up name. I saw my life flash before my eyes, and it was just the one life. You're the one with nine lives now, milady." He leaned in close to her. "Can I ask you to share just one?"

She rolled her eyes and waved him off.

He smiled after her as she marched, hands on hips to the edge of the roof. She looked good in black.

She peered at Silencer disappearing into the distance. Luka. She had to save him.

"Well, ladybugs are lucky right? And they also symbolize love, so… how would you feel if I went as Mr. Love?"

She shot him a horrified glare.

"Mr. Luck, then? Hmm, I like that, though it does have a leprechaun feel. I do miss my French name. Oh, just make it French then! Monsieur Chance. Chance. I like that. Feeling lucky today, milady? Because you should, since I'm all yours."

She rolled her eyes, pulled out her staff and sent him a text.  _Stick with Chance._

"Ah, clever milady,  _stick_  with Chance, I see. I was going to say I miss the cat puns, but I think a whole new world has opened up, and we do still have a cat on the team."

Ladycat rolled her eyes again. If he kept this up, she was going to get a headache. She reached for her stick and took a deep breath. She needed to know how handle her new weapon.

She held her thumb down on the paw print and launched into the air again.  _It's just like the yoyo,_ she thought, taking deep breaths as she rode it to the top and it began to tip forward _, but you vault off of the ground instead off of random objects that are higher than you._  And so she let herself telescope-staff off of roofs until she was near the tower, "Monsieur Chance" not far behind her.

When he caught up he sighed. "I may be wearing red," he said, "but I am still rater  _green_  with this yoyo."

To avoid the headache, Ladycat tried to avoid the eye roll. She was not successful.

She wished they had time to practice fighting with their new weapons, but they would have to face Silencer like this. She sighed, and then eyed the door in. She looked at Chance, then gestured with her thumb for them to get going.

He smiled at her. "Whatever you don't say, milady."

She grinned back. And, together, they vaulted and swung to the door of the sky scraper. Then they walked in as Ladycat and Monsieur Chance.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you SO MUCH for all the name suggestions, every single one made my day, it means a lot that you would take the time to think up names for me. In the end, "Mr. Luck" won out, but I decided to give it a French spin. Chance in French is pronouced sort of like "Shonse." I've been using Duolingo, what can I say :) Also thank you to the people who looked in other languages and just all of you in generally for reviewing and being supportive, you are all the best and I hope you enjoy this fic!


	4. Chapter Four

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Ladycat and Chance take on Silencer, and Bob Roth is a jerk. Can this new Cat and Bug team do literally anything coordinated? You'll have to read to find out. Dun dun dun!

This chapter opens with elevator music. If elevators in France have music. (Let’s just pretend they do.) Elevator music and a girl in a skintight cat suit with lime green slashes at her hips and her partner, a partially grown man standing beside her in red with black polka dots and black swatches under his arms and down the sides of his legs. His yoyo pinged. He looked at it, then at his partner.

“Seriously?” he said.

She shrugged. 

“I think Plagg is rubbing off on you.”

The elevators doors slid open and they jogged to the studio door behind which Silencer had Bob Roth under the camera lights, about to admit he’d stolen from Kitty Section. They heard him speaking with the newscaster’s voice. 

Ladycat lifted a leg to kick in the door, but Chance grabbed her shoulder. “Hold on, milady. If we wait a minute, Bob Roth will admit that he stole Kitty Section’s music.” 

Ladycat typed on her cat stick. _Admitting under pressure like that isn’t honest--_

“That would be revenge, not justice,” he said, finishing her message. “I see your point, milady, though it isn’t much fun.”

With that he raised a red and black spotted leg and kicked in the door. It swung and banged and Silencer turned to see them. New heroes. Well, not new. But changed.

“Who are you?” Silencer said using Luka’s voice.

Ladycat grinned and Chance spun his yoyo playfully. Bob leapt up and used his tied hands to turn the camera on them, unable to resist being the first to document their kwami swap.

“The name’s Chance. And this is my partner, Ladycat.”

She grinned. He winked.

“Now,” Chance said, “Silencer, I think you’ve got a little beef with this bug, because you stole milady’s voice!” And he charged.

They fought hand-to-hand, both dodging each other easily. Ladycat ran in to untie Mr. Roth. 

“So, how new are you?” he said. “Are you some kind of copycat? I sure hope you’re competent.”

Ladycat rolled her eyes and finished untying Mr. Ross. He then grabbed her and edged his way toward the exit using her as a shield. She fought him off but not before Silencer noticed the two of them. And grabbed her.

He locked Ladycat in his grip and forced her to the ground. Then he reached for her ring.

“No!” Chance yelled, flinging his yoyo and striking Silencer’s hand. Silencer fumed, but still had Ladycat pinned down. 

“Let her go!” Chance yelled before diving and knocking Silencer off of Ladycat. They wrestled on the ground. Silencer rolled on top of Chance, his big size giving him the advantage. Then he reached out two fingers to Chance’s mouth to silence him.

If Ladycat had a voice, she would have screamed. Instead she ran to them, mouth agape.

Mr. Roth snagged her arm. ““Some superhero team you are, almost losing your miraculous. Now, one of you do your job and get me out of here!” And with that he began to drag Ladycat away.

Chance saw this and turned to Silencer. “Look at them,” he said as Silencer’s fingers were inches from his lips. Silencer paused. “We both know Mr. Roth is the real enemy.”

Silencer’s hand hovered, then pulled back. He took a look at Roth dragging Ladycat away, yelling, “Don’t you know who I am?” Then he sat up and looked at Chance. 

“What makes you think I should listen to you?” he said with Luka’s hands and Ladybug’s voice.

“Because I’m a smart bug,” Chance said. “But seriously, common enemy here, and you haven’t gotten revenge yet. You know you won’t have powers after you take our miraculous, right? Hawk Moth will just take them away. So you need to get Roth first.”

“Don’t listen to them!” Hawk Moth yelled in his lair, but no one listened to Hawky.

Silencer nodded to Chance and then got up and ran for Mr. Roth. Chance jumped up and threw his yoyo into the air. “Lucky charm!”

A cowbell fell into his hands. Chance stared at it. “Uh…” He looked around, hoping to come up with an idea. The only thing that he noticed was the cowbell and his hand. He shrugged.

“There can only be one thing to do with this.”

And with that he began to ring the bell and yodel at the top of his lungs. “I got a feeling called the bluuuuuues, oh Lord…. Lord I don’t know what I to doooooooo…. … Lord I love to hear when she calls me sweet---“ he looked at Ladycat and winked, “---kitty… Such a beautiful dreeeeam. I hate to think it all ooooover. I’ve lost my heart it seeeeeeems. I’ve grown so used to you some how. Well I’m nobody’s sweet kitty now, I’ve got the lovesick blues. I’m in love I’m in love with a beautiful gal, that’s what’s the matter with me—“

As Chance launched into the next verse Ladycat and Bob Roth looked at each other, confused. Silencer stared at Bugman. He definitely couldn’t sing well.

“Well I’m in love I’m in love with a beautiful gal, but she don’t care about me. But I tried and I tried to keep her satifsfied but she just wouldn’t stay…”

Silencer began to approach Chance, eager to steal his voice.

“…so now that she is leavin’, this is all I can say: I got a feelin’ got a blue lovin’…I got the lovesick blues---Ladycat now!” And he dropped the cowbell and it clattered to the floor. He flung his yoyo at Silencer’s head but Silencer caught the yoyo in his fist and began to drag Chance toward him.

Ladycat whipped out her telescoping staff and flung it against Silencer’s head with all her strength, splitting his helmet. He toppled to the floor and her heart wrenched. A purple butterfly flapped free. Ladycat rushed to Luka’s side, laying a hand on his shoulder. He didn’t move.

Chance grabbed his yoyo and flung it to catch the akuma. “Time to de-evilize!” He said, spinning it and then releasing the now white butterfly.

“See ya, cousin,” he said, and then looked at Ladycat for validation. She gave none.

“Get it? Cousin? Because we are both bugs?” 

Ladycat facepalmed.

“Come on, it’s a wasted opportunity!”

Ladycat stared at him. 

“Don’t get catty now, milady, I am the only one who can restore your voice.”

She glared at him.

“So, I take it you hated the song. That’s okay. I didn’t have a chance to warm up, after all.” He picked up the cowbell. “Do we have time for another number?” He gave it a few bangs. “Come on, milady, you literally cannot protest.”

It took all of Ladycat’s self control not to walk up and hit him with the cowbell. Luka began to stir. He looked up. “Ladybug? But… you’re in your partner’s costume.” 

“Okay, I’ll set things right so you can explain how I saved the day with my voice. Miraculous ladybug!” And Chance tossed the cowbell into the air. A healing wave of ladybugs enveloped all of Silencer’s destruction and made it right again. Luka put a hand against his head. “What happened?”

“You were akumatized,” Ladycat said. “But everything is going to be alright.”

“What happened to you?” Luka asked.

“I…borrowed Chat’s powers for a little bit, and he borrowed mine. It was all so we could help you. Here, let me get you back to your friends,” Ladycat said, standing and offering Luka a hand.

“What about me?” Bob Roth said, “I’ve been seriously injured!”

Chance’s earrings beeped. “I think you’ve done enough destruction for today,” Chance said to Mr. Roth. “Remember, you and your scheme was the cause of this akumatization. Now, if you excuse me, I’ve got to bug out.” And with that he ran for the exit.

Ladycat walked Luka to the elevators. They opened and the two of them headed in.

The doors closed and Luka stared at Ladycat as the elevator headed to the ground floor. Ladycat sent Chance a text.

Moments before de-transforming, Chance read her message. _Meet me on the roof after you refuel._ And he smiled. 

_Anything for you, my kitty,_ he texted back.

Back in the elevator, she couldn’t help but smile.

And so this chapter ends as it began: with elevator music and a text between a bug and a cat.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> My gosh this took forever. Sorry guys. I wrote and scrapped and wrote and scrapped Lucky Charms, so I hope this one made you smile. Also, please comment if you know the meme this is referencing. Or if you think this should never happen again. Or what you think Ladycat texted Chance at the beginning.
> 
> Also, thanks for sticking with this fic. No, really. You’re the best.
> 
> Oh, and one of my scrapped Lucky Charms will be posted at the end of the fic, as like a bonus sort of thing. You don't have to like it, but I wrote like 1000 words for it and they will find an audience, dang flab it. It's not bad, it just didn't match the tone. At all.


End file.
